Each Moment Is the Universe: Zen and the Way of Being Time

An important figure in the transmission of Zen to America, Dainin Katagiri Roshi (1928-1990) was assistant to the legendary Zen master Suzuki Roshi (author of Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind) before founding the Minnesota Zen Center in Minneapolis. Katagiri Roshi was known for his direct, rousing, no-nonsense teaching style, urging his students along with statements like: You are Buddha, so learn to behave as a Buddha, and Don't expect enlightenment--just sit down! In this new book, Katagiri presents Zen Master Dogen's classical teachings on being and time (uji). Most Westerners consider time a commodity or resource, thinking of it as something they can save, spend, make, buy, use, or waste. In Zen, time is considered a creative force and a gateway to freedom. In Each Moment Is the Universe, Katagiri explains time as something internal and integrated with all of life. Time is understood as a dynamic process that continuously produces the universe. Although this may seem like a metaphysical abstraction, in Zen practice this can be perceived through direct experience.